Fan Interview: Jessica Nagy
Jessica Nagy, Student, Yorkshire.
Twitter: @JessNagy
What is being a fan to you?
Being a fan is extremely important to me, I feel that I have grown up alongside them and that they are actually a part of who I am. Going to see them and having friends around me that feel the same about them has affected my life massively and I don't believe I would be the person I am without these experiences and without the friends I have acquired over the past 3 years. Being a fan means, to me, being extremely determined, patient and understanding without letting certain things get to you, I do sincerely believe that being part of a fandom and being a fan has almost shaped me into a better person as it has taught me interesting yet valuable life lessons.
How would you describe the impact twitter has on the fandom you’re involved in?
Twitter has had an extremely significant impact, especially due to the moumentous rise of the amount of people that now have an account compared to a few years ago. Twitter is a quick way to spread the word and ultimately can inform people about pretty much anything. Twitter can connect fans to each other as well as the celebrities themselves giving fans the opportunity to connect on a different level that might not have been available before Twitter launched. Without Twitter, fans wouldn't be able to share their opinions and bond over what they're passionate about and the celebrities themselves would struggle to maintain their fame without the promotion that Twitter can offer.
What is the most extreme fan situation you’ve been involved in?
I have been involved in an abundance of fan situations, some more manic than others, probably the most extreme situation would probably be at a radio tour, when people try to promote their music by visiting different radio stations. At one specific radio station in Manchester there must have been around 500 girls all crammed into one car park, who to try get to One Direction actually climbed on top of cars that weren't theirs, ran into glass windows and chased cars down a main road. It was all extremely chaotic and in some ways quite unsettling to see the lengths that some would go to, just to get close to the person they are obsessed with.
Many people believe a fandom has the ability to cause people to behave in a way they wouldn’t normally behave. Do you agree?
To a certain extent I believe being in a fandom can change a person in the sense of competition and jealousy. To some people meeting their favourite celebrities is the culmination of everything they've hoped for and when others stop that from happening people can act extrememly irrationally. Also some people can become extremely jealous of fans that have maybe met their favourite celebrity more than them or if they deem that person not worthy enough of seeing them, being in a fandom can be an extremely unreasonable and sometimes almost a nasty thing to be involved in which in some cases can change a person for the worse.
If you could go back in time and not be involved in the fandom you’re in now, would you?
I think if I had the option to go back and do things differently I wouldn't, even though there has been some stressful times and some ridiculous lows, the highs always make up for it. I have had some fantastic times and met some amazing people that I class as genuine friends who without being in a fandom I would not have meet and can't imagine not having them in my life now.
Can you imagine life not being involved in the fandom you’re in now?
I can't imagine not being involved in the fandom i'm in. Although most aspects of it are in fact separate and isolated from the rest of my life such as being at home with my family or my day to day life at University, it is a huge part of who I am and I think without that factor of my life I would feel a little lost.
